SLKPA lower divisions done & dusted

 

There was a derby at New Eltham Social Club and bottom team, New Boys had to beat their sister side to avoid relegation, whereas New Stars were looking to secure second place with Bellegrove A breathing down their necks. 

 

The bottom side did themselves no favours by only having four players, but I don’t think it would have mattered, as New Stars were in imperious form, winning each set, 4-1. 

 

The match started well for both sides, with the opening two frames being shared, but Ron Brown and Gary Dixon won the next two frames to give New Stars the, 3-1 advantage. 

 

Then Steve Pearce was handed frame five to make it, 4-1. 

 

Michael Barnes joined Greg Fothergill on the New Boys scoreboard however, New Stars dominance continued, winning the next eight frames on the bounce to make it, 12-2. 

 

Anthony Lee took the last frame as a consolation for New Boys, making the final score, 12-3. 

 

Steve Pearce had to wait until frame thirteen to actually play a frame, but it wasn’t unlucky for him as he won it to secure his hat-trick after being handed his first two frames. 

 

Ron Brown also recorded a hat-trick, but he had to play all three of his frames and teammate Steve Knight was also unbeaten, but he had the same fortune as Pearce and was given his only frame. 

 

It was mixed feelings at New Eltham, as New Stars secured second spot, but New Boys have finished bottom of the table and will go down to Division Two. 

 

This meant that the match between Fox & Hounds and Eltham Terrace Rack Pack was a straight battle to avoid joining New Boys in the second division, and with one point between the two teams, this was always going to be close. 

 

This was a rematch of last week’s Silver Salver tie, which Rack Pack won, 8-4 and it was them that had much the better start, with Tony Frost, Chris Parlett and Adam Watts winning the opening three frames. 

 

Kerry Wyatt and Alan Dolan took the remaining two frames of the set to bring Fox to within a frame. 

 

Melissa Barnes tied the match with frame six however, Stephen Unwin and Watts restored Rack Pack’s lead to, 5-3. 

 

Kerry Wyatt and Dolan were the saviours for Fox once again, winning the last two frames of the set, to give them the set and level the match again.

 

At five all going into the final set, it appeared that the relegation fight would be going right down to the wire. 

 

However, Rack Pack had other ideas and Wyatt and Dolan couldn’t save the Fox’s this time, with Rack Pack whitewashing the final set, 5-0. 

 

What a time to produce a whitewash, to avoid relegation with a, 10-5 triumph. 

 

Watts was the inspiration behind this victory, winning all three of his frames. 

 

This result not only lifted Rack Pack above their opponents and out of the relegation zone by four points, but also put them past 100 points. 

 

Unfortunately, this means that Fox & Hounds join New Boys in Division Two next winter season. 

 

Looking to overturn the one point gap and leapfrog New Stars into second were Bellegrove A, but they were playing the newly crowned champions, Falconwood Club. 

 

Falconwood celebrated by finishing the league season in style with a, 12-3 triumph. 

 

Falconwood raced into a, 7-0 lead although Bellegrove had their chances, most notably in frame five when Kevin England was handed two visits on the black. 

 

The black ball was in a difficult position, but he missed the ball completely giving Ian Stringer two visits and he seized the opportunity, clearing up.

 

Stacey Redman stopped the rot, winning frame eight for Bellegrove, but Falconwood went on to win five of the final seven frames for a 12-3 victory.

 

Despite the large margin of victory, there was only two unbeaten players, Ross Webster and Akar Necati both scoring three out of three for Falconwood.    

 

Everything in SLKPA Division Two was already decided, with Duke of Northumberland winning the division and Bellegrove Flyers being promoted with them and Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club finishing bottom. 

 

There were big wins all round this week, as Flyers beat Happy Hustlers, 10-5 and Duke thrashed third placed Academicals, 12-3. 

 

Farmhouse had the biggest win of the week, 13-2 against Bexleyheath to become the fourth team in the division to break through 100 points. 

 

The top division still has three weeks to play and there is everything to play for at both ends of the table. 

 

With Hotshots not playing this week the top of the table really got hot, as Sharks, who were nine points behind Hotshots, played their game in hand against Rugrats. 

 

You would never have known there was five places and 31 points between these teams when this game started, as each set went down to a deciding frame. 

 

The first set swung one way then the other, before Dean Passer won frame five to give Sharks a, 3-2 first set lead. 

 

Ashley Hewson and Scott Foley won the first two frames of the second set to nudge Rugrats into the lead, but Paul Cook and Derek Power won the next two frames to restore Sharks one frame advantage. 

 

This time it was Vu Son who beat Pat Firth in the deciding frame of the set to put Sharks ahead by two frames for the first time in the match. 

 

Passer extended that daylight to three frames with the eleventh frame, putting Sharks on the hill. 

 

Foley and Firth pulled Rugrats back to within a frame again however, Geoff La Porte secured the victory for Sharks with the penultimate frame and Cook took the last frame for an overall, 9-6 victory. 

 

Foley was in fine form for Rugrats, winning all three of his frames, as did Cook for Sharks and he was backed up by Passer and Power who were both unbeaten on two and one frame respectively. 

 

Rugrats fought hard and were unlucky, but these were an important six points in their battle to avoid the drop. 

 

On the other hand, keeping Sharks down to nine points meant that they could only tie with Hotshots on 121 points at the top, so the last three weeks is going to be very exciting. 

 

Five points below Rugrats in the relegation zone were Eltham Terrace Nuthouse and they faced Bellegrove, two places above them. 

 

Nuthouse are fighting just as hard as Rugrats to avoid the drop and this week was no different and although they didn’t win, going down, 8-7 they picked up as many points as they could without winning and narrowly closed the gap on Rugrats by one point to four points. 

 

There was only three points between Nuthouse and Bears on the bottom and Bears were playing high flying Pickwick in third. 

 

Pickwick won the opening two frames, before Dean James put one on the board for Bears against his former team. 

 

Martin Storey’s great form continued to give Pickwick the first set, then Gary Mason pulled one back for Bears, making it, 4-2 going into the second set. 

 

Dave Pile and Paul Dawson extended Pickwick’s lead to, 5-2 before Bears’ victors from the first set, Mason and James levelled the set and brought their team back to within a frame overall. 

 

Pickwick’s Paul Slater won frame ten to give them the set by the odd frame and again extend their lead to, 6-4. 

 

Paul Gafa put Pickwick on the hill, with frame eleven, but Paul Cobbold joined the winner’s circle for Bears to prevent Mike Werbowy winning the match for Pickwick. 

 

However, Pile won his second frame of the night to give his team the victory. 

 

James took the penultimate frame for his hat-trick, to show his former teammates what they are missing. 

 

Jamie Davis won the last frame for Pickwick for an overall, 9-6 triumph. 

 

James was the only hat-trick hero, but Pickwick had two unbeaten players, Pile on two frame wins and Slater who won his only frame. 

 

Neither side really stamped their authority on the game, but both picked up valuable points in battles at either end of the table. 

 

Pickwick are now twelve points behind the top two and Bears are eight points away from Rugrats and top division pool next season. 

 

The last game in the division saw fifth placed, The Cocked Hats take on Bull Tavern in fourth, with only five points between them. 

 

This closeness was echoed in the match with Cocked Hats just edging it, 8-7 to reduce the gap to four points however, Bull did break through 100 points and Cocked Hats should do the same next week, as this result put them on 99 points. 

 

The battle to avoid relegation from the top division and the race for the title can only get hotter over the next three weeks, while the lower divisions turn to the League Cup. 

 

For more information on the SLKPA, including league tables visit our website at www.slkpa.com or contact our Secretary, Paul Gafa on 07443 456662 or secretary@slkpa.com with any queries.

 

The league is always looking at potential sponsors and any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.